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Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!

Nobody
will ever call Wales a one-man team after this. Gareth Bale? He was one
of a number on this, the greatest night in the history of Welsh
football. Most importantly, he will have been happy to be so.

For
this wasn’t about him. It was about all of them. About Hal Robson-Kanu,
the striker not considered good enough for Reading, who scored one of
the finest goals of the tournament, embodying the spirit of none other
than Johan Cryuff as he did.

It
was about Sam Vokes, who hadn’t scored a competitive goal for Wales
since 2008 against Azerbaijan, yet clinched this game with a header
Belgium’s giants would have killed to score. It was about mighty men
like Ashley Williams, battered but unbowed, refusing to be invalided out
of the biggest game of his life.

And
it was about Aaron Ramsey, playing arguably his best game for his
country, but now banned for Wednesday’s semi-final with Portugal after a
second booking of the tournament, for hand ball – a colossal loss.

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Gareth Bale raises two fists to the heavens after Wales recorded a remarkable 3-1 victory of Belgium to reach the semi-finals

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Radja Nainggolan smashes the ball
goalwards from distance, a blistering strike that flew into the top
corner to give Belgium the lead

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Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey opted
to go for the ball two-handed, and although he got fingertips to the
ball he could not stop it

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Nainggolan is mobbed by his team-mates, while Wales star Gareth Bale looks dejected after the stunning opener in the 13th minute

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Wales captain Ashley Williams rises, almost unmarked, seven yards out to meet Aaron Ramsey's corner and head in the equaliser

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Kevin De Bruyne tries to clear the
ball off the line, but having come off his post the Manchester City
midfielder could not prevent the goal

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Williams shows his delight after the
equaliser that Wales had thoroughly deserved, and he sets off in
celebration with Bale behind him

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The captain headed straight for his
manager Chris Coleman as the 30th-minute goal sparked raucous
celebrations on the Welsh bench

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Hal Robson-Kanu fires Wales into the lead after a superb turn to fool three hapless Belgian defenders inside the penalty area

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Robson-Kanu, without a club after
being released by Reading at the end of this season, celebrates his
quite brilliant goal to make it 2-1

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Sam Vokes rises above Toby Alderweireld to sublimely head Chris Gunter's cross over Courtois to wrap up the win for Wales

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Wales striker Vokes is mobbed by team-mates Joe Allen, Bale and Gunter after his goal sealed an historic win

And
yes, it was about the manager, Chris Coleman. What a tournament he has
had. If Dan Ashworth, the man charged with finding Roy Hodgson’s
successor, wants to see what the DNA of a nation’s football team looks
like, he should try watching this game.

The
spirit that Coleman has engendered in this Wales team is exceptional,
the way they went about earning this victory is everything England
aspire to and are not. Character, resilience, confidence, courage, game
management – and no little skill.

They
went 1-0 down after 13 minutes and came raging back into the game. They
were at their most dangerous when Belgium were in the ascendancy.

Tactically and psychologically, Coleman has marshalled this group like no other at the tournament.

He is working with what would be perceived as inferior materials: yet has turned them into collective gold.

Belgium
are second best only to Argentina in the FIFA rankings; yet equally,
they were second best here. It is Coleman who is doing the impossible
job.

Portugal
are next up, and if Wales go in as underdogs again, that is only
because the loss of Ramsey and defender Ben Davies to suspension might
be considered too great a blow.

Ramsey
was the man of the match here – setting up two goals, everywhere in
midfield, his shock of peroxide hair appearing, not flash, but the
calling card of a player determined to stand out at this tournament. And
he has, eclipsing even Bale in influence in some games, and certainly
on Friday night.

Not
that Bale was disappointing. He was just well watched, well accounted
for – but that in itself is a contribution too. It means other players
are left alone, are given space – as Williams was for the first goal, as
Ramsey was when creating the second.

It
will have come as some surprise to those who blame English lethargy at
tournaments on the absence of a winter break to see this, arguably the
most exhilarating game so far.

Of
the 22 players that started, 15 are based in England, yet there was
little sign of fatigue on either side, until Wales drained Belgium of
life with their second-half supremacy.

Belgium
were outstanding from the off in both halves and deservedly went ahead,
but Wales responded magnificently, got a goal back, forged more
chances, got in front and then pulled away with the third, which settled
it.

Indeed,
far from sitting back and soaking up pressure as many expected, Wales
were as comfortable having the ball as chasing it. When the possession
statistics flashed up on the board late in the first-half, Wales had 55
per cent.

As with Iceland, it is patronising to suggest they are a team without attacking ambition.

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Eden Hazard looks to break away from
Joe Allen as Belgium dominated the early stages and looked to get on top
in the quarter-final

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Ben Davies is shown a yellow card by
Slovenian referee Damir Skomina as Wales struggled to keep pace with
their opponents early on

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Hennessey makes a brilliant save to
deny Yannick Carrasco as Wales' defence was opened up for the first time
in the seventh minute

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After Hennessey made the first save,
three Welsh defenders had to throw themselves at a follow-up shot, which
was blocked on the line

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Hazard cannot believe his luck after a
third shot in a matter of seconds is deflected over the bar thanks to
some brave defending

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Hennessey's finger is snapped back by the power of Nainggolan's shot, which whistled past him and into the top corner

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The midfielder celebrates his goal, as Allen and Ramsey are left looking for a way back into the game after just 13 minutes

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SUPER STAT

10 - Sam Vokes’ header was Wales’ 10th goal of the tournament. No one has scored more than them in this Euros.

Belgium are second with nine, France, Iceland, Germany and Portugal areon six.

With
three of Belgium’s first-choice defenders missing, coach Marc Wilmots
had obviously decided attack was the best option and from one move
alone, Belgium spurned three chances to score.

Yannick
Carrasco at the far post was kept out by Wayne Hennessey, Thomas
Meunier by Neil Taylor and then Eden Hazard by a combination of the
two.

Hazard
then swung in the corner which Lukaku failed to meet at the far post,
unmarked. It was not his only error of a disappointing night.

In
the 13th minute, Belgium took the lead. Joe Allen gave the ball away in
midfield, Jordan Lukaku went down the wing, found Hazard inside and he
slipped the ball into the path of Radja Nainggolan.

It
was a goal almost as soon as it left his boot – one of those hits where
the audacity of trying the shot is the first thought, quickly erased by
the excellence of the result.

It went in like a rocket, Hennessey getting no more than fingertips to the ball and with no chance of altering the trajectory.

For
Hazard, it was his fourth assist of the tournament – overtaking the
number he recorded for Chelsea through the entire Premier League season.
One would like to be a fly on the wall at Jose Mourinho’s holiday
resort hearing that information.

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Hazard loses his footing after
skipping past James Chester as he delivers a cross into the box, with
Belgium continuing to threaten

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Hal Robson-Kanu, leading the line for
Wales alongside Bale, is bundled to the floor by Axel Witsel, as Wales
fought back in Lille

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Only a superb reaction save from
Courtois to deny Neil Taylor prevented Wales levelling on 25 minutes,
but it didn't keep them out for long

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Williams' header found the corner of the net, as clever movement and an excellent delivery allowed him the perfect opportunity

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Williams jumps into his team-mates' arms after scoring the goal that Wales' response to going behind had thoroughly merited

Wales
could have crumbled – England probably would – but Coleman’s team is
made of sterner stuff. From that reverse, they carved their best chance
of the match, and an eventual equaliser.

Ramsey,
cut back from the right by-line, Taylor shot first time, but Thibaut
Courtois somehow got a hand there, recovering his position across goal.

Five
minutes later, Wales equalised. It looked like a rolling maul in the
centre of the area before Ramsey’s corner came in, but that was all part
of the diversionary plan. When the smoke cleared, there was captain
Williams, unmarked. Jason Denayer recognised the danger, but too late,
and Williams gave Courtois no chance with his header. De Bruyne had
shifted his position on the line and was powerless.

Missed
chances cost Belgium dearly. Hennessey’s fingertips took the ball from
Romelu Lukaku’s head at a vital moment and the Everton man missed two
more, before Hazard cut inside – his trademark move – and curled a shot
just wide of the far post.

The
crowd at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, predominantly Belgium having popped
over the border, must have felt a goal was bound to come. It did, but
not in the way they imagined.

We
expected Cruyff-like skills at this tournament; just not from
Robson-Kanu. The Wales striker doesn’t even have a club right now.
Released by Reading, there have been no takers so far. There will be
after this.

The
greatest goal in Welsh history – in both senses of the word – put his
team on the way to the semi-final in their first tournament since
1958. One off the shin would have sufficed, yet the quality was as huge
as the siginificance.

Robson-Kanu
executed a Cruyff turn in the penalty area of such perfection that
Meunier needed his passport to get back in the country. It is a short
trip to Belgium and Meunier and several team-mates were well on the way
before they realised Robson-Kanu had changed direction.

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De Bruyne, Belgium's star throughout the tournament, looks to find a way past Williams, but the Wales defender stands firm

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Jason Denayer can only watch on as Robson-Kanu, having tricked his way past a static defence, slots the ball past Courtois

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Robson-Kanu's goal saw Wales take the
lead against the tournament's highest-ranked side, and put them on
course for the last four

Belgium
were on top of the time, and had probably grown complacent. Ramsey was
allowed to carry the ball upfield untroubled, find Robson-Kanu in a
tight space. First he battled to keep Meunier off, then he twisted and
pulled the ball inside as the Dutch master would.

And
in one leap, he was free. Alone. Only Courtois to beat. Don’t let
anyone tell you that, by then, Robson-Kanu had done the hard part. It
would have been so easy to miss from there. So easy to panic and rush
the shot, or hit it straight at Courtois.

Robson-Kanu placed it, beautifully, and with the same effect as Iceland’s second goal in Nice.

Belgium,
from there, looked done. Scared. Jittery. They knew this was their
match – their tournament maybe – to win. This is their golden
generation.

It’s
funny how nobody ever says that of Wales. Maybe that is the secret.
Maybe that is what is pushing this team to greater and greater heights.

Certainly, the denouement was unimagined. A Belgian fightback? A Welsh Alamo? Hardly.

With
four minutes to go, Chris Gunter crossed from the right and Vokes met
the ball with a header in a way a succession of Belgian giants –Lukaku,
Marouane Felaini – could not.

Courtois was beaten and so were the tournament’s dark horses. Beaten by the darkest horses of all.

The one man team that is, in reality, about anything but a solitary man.

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Bale looks disappointed after spurning
a difficult chance, as he continued to create openings against an
inexperienced Belgian defence

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Ramsey looks to skip past the tackle of Alderweireld, as the Arsenal man looked to unlock the Belgium defence again

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Vokes watches on as his late header loops over the despairing dive of Courtois and into the corner to seal a magnificent victory

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Wales celebrate in front of their
delighted fans as Vokes header confirms their place in the last four,
where they will meet Portugal

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Coleman and his assistant manager
Osian Roberts sing the national anthem before the game on an emotional
night for Welsh football

About Me

Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.